CNN obtained a trove of 2,319 text messages that ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows apparently provided to the House committee investigating the Capitol riot, and in those messages — which involve dozens of current and former Republican members of Congress, Fox hosts, and others — topics including martial law were raised. A martial law reference came from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who told Meadows as follows on January 17 of last year: “In our private chat with only Members, several are saying the only way to save our Republic is for Trump to call for Marshall law. I don’t know on those things. I just wanted you to tell him. They stole this election. We all know. They will destroy our country next. Please tell him to declassify as much as possible so we can go after Biden and anyone else!”
Breaking: A New York judge is holding Trump in civil contempt after the state's attorney general's office said he did not comply with a subpoena for documents as part of its investigation into his company.
Judge Engoron said Trump would be fined $10,000 a day until he complies.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 25, 2022
She spelled it wrong, but the soberingly intense threat to democracy posed by these people’s machinations was clear. Notably, Greene said during recent court proceedings in relation to a challenge to her eligibility for re-election that she didn’t remember whether she’d pushed then-President Trump to impose martial law amid the attempts to undo Biden’s win. Greene could have been relying on the fact that she didn’t appear to personally endorse the declaration of martial law, but either way: her answer that she didn’t remember whether she’d pushed Trump to put martial law in place is fundamentally suspicious. Members of the far-right group known as the Oath Keepers apparently prepared for the possibility of Trump imposing martial law; specifically, they were looking towards the potential of the then-president invoking the Insurrection Act, a federal law allowing presidents to call up militias. They were prepared to serve as the militia — and, according to a plea agreement from Oath Keepers member Joshua James, some prepared to use lethal force in support of attempts to keep Trump in power.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Kevin McCarthy to CNN: "That is really the illness that pervades the Republican leadership right now. That they say one thing to the American public and something else in private."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 25, 2022
Other text conversations that Meadows handed over reveal bizarre conspiracy theories spreading among Trump’s backers. At 3:52 p.m. on the day of the riot, Greene said to Meadows: “Mark we don’t think these attackers are our people. We think they are Antifa. Dressed like Trump supporters.” (There’s no evidence and has never been any real-world evidence of “Antifa” driving the attack.) Shortly before that message, Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller messaged Meadows what he characterized as ideas for tweets from the then-president. One idea read: “Bad apples, likely ANTIFA or other crazed leftists, infiltrated [today’s] peaceful protest over the fraudulent vote count. Violence is never acceptable! MAGA supporters embrace our police and the rule of law and should leave the Capitol now!” Other notable messages in the trove of conversations include two attempts by Meadows to get in touch with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), who ended up on the front lines of the election fight because of Biden’s surprising win in Georgia. Raffensperger consistently resisted pro-Trump attempts to go after the election results. Read more at this link.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on CNN: "Kevin McCarthy is a liar and a traitor."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 25, 2022
